


All Aboard

by miscreant_rose



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Eventual Smut, F/M, Getting Together, One Night Stands, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2019-04-30 06:34:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14490936
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miscreant_rose/pseuds/miscreant_rose
Summary: Originally posted on FF.net, and being moved here because this story will not go away, and I am determined to write again, and this has the potential of a nice solid long fic.  Crafted to fill *several* prompts on tumblr, one being lala-kate  (“Mary and Charles—modern AU. They meet on a cruise ship. :D Set sail!” and, “Mary and Charles - wake me up.”), as well a two-part prompt from an anon, "One too many", and ....  well I can't really say what the second half of the prompt was without giving away a lovely pot twist.  Just trust these prompts are magnificent and immediately exploded in my brain into something that is consuming my soul.  Trust me on this, you don’t want to let this one 'sail' you by!





	All Aboard

 

The blaring wail of an alarm makes her sit bolt upright in bed, sudden panic filling her, chased immediately by nausea and pain. _Oh, crap don't throw up, don't throw up when there is a fire._

Her thoughts manage to come a little more awake and calm her pounding heart by making her recognize the terror-inducing wail was a phone alarm, not a fire alarm.The screaming pain in her head was currently wielding a sledgehammer against the inside of her skull and letting her know whatever the hell the noise was, it was far too loud and she was going to pay.

There is a pain-filled groan beside her, and then a muffled plea, “Oh my God, just kill it.Kill it with fire.”

She reaches out to the bedside stand, eyes squinting against the excruciating and obnoxious light that dared to fill the room.She finally finds the phone and slid her finger across the screen, throwing things into blessed silence.

A sigh and mumble again from under the pillow beside her. “Oh, god, thank you, take whatever you want from me, my firstborn, my wallet, I don’t care just let me die here in silence.”

She looks down at the phone screen. _5:55 am_.  “Who the hell sets their alarm at six in the morning on a cruise?”

There is no answer to her whispered question, so she nudges his warm body with her knee.He moans.

“I’m sure I have a reason. I just don’t know what it is right now.”

She would have snorted if it wouldn’t have hurt like hell.Instead, she glances at his long, muscular form sprawled on his stomach beside her, tan and naked to where the sheet was tangled around his calves, head buried under a pillow his arms were holding securely in place.God, those forearms, with the smattering of crisp dark hair, muscled just perfectly above large hands and long fingers.Her body was beginning to have a field day, despite the hangover, remembering just what those hands and fingers had been doing to her for the past week. 

_Damn, I do have good taste._

She is tempted to take a photo of him like this and text it to her sister with the message, _“Mission: Accomplished.”_ After all, it was her carefree little sister who told her not to cancel what was supposed to be her honeymoon cruise when the wedding — well, their whole engagement — was called off a few months ago.In fact, her sister was supposed to be here with her but canceled at the last minute.Though, not without the strict demand that Mary be stupid and wild and find someone hot to enjoy that honeymoon cabin with.Not that Mary had had any intention of following such outrageous instructions.That was until this equally gorgeous and obnoxious specimen of the male species had insisted on crashing her holiday.

Continuing to stare at his nicely naked form, her whole body began to flush despite the racket in her head and stomach.Wild would be the understatement to what this week had been.

There is a soft chime that fills the room, and it isn’t coming from the phone.The over-head PA system comes on, a gentle voice reminding passengers they will be docking in Barcelona in a little under an hour and that all passengers will need to disembark before 10:00 am.

His groggy muffled voice rises up beside her.“That’s why I set the alarm.”

She looks around the room and wants to cry. Packing.And right now, varied articles of their clothing are scattered everywhere. 

He starts to try and move and sucks in a sharp whimper.“Oh, my God, what did we drink last night?”

“Everything, I suspect.”Heaven help her, how is she going to get herself moving without her head and stomach each exploding?

Carefully, she slides her legs off the bed and is pretty sure the floor is flat and not rocking too much beneath her feet.Taking a slow breath, she carefully pushes herself up and stumbles naked to the dresser where a large carafe of once iced water is sitting with a couple glasses.She drinks down one, mentally telling her stomach to let it stay there.Filling the glass again, she heads to the bath where her robe and the stash of paracetamol are waiting.

Damp towels are scattered all over the bathroom, one hanging at an odd angle from the mirror, looking much as if it was fighting a hangover as well.She glances around, noticing the hand shower hanging loose and dripping, and realized every surface in the bath was covered with water.

Try as she might, not even her body was giving her a single clue as to what the hell they had done in there last night.Well, beyond the headach and nausea, but drink alone doesn’t explain the state of the bathroom.But obviously, they enjoyed themselves.Trying not to slip on the slick marble of the floor, she wonders if she should check for bruises.The quick glance of her reflection as she goes to swallow down the pills makes her nix that idea.There is a slight greenish tinge to her face and circles under her eyes, making her wince.The wild speckling of deep red marks all over her neck and chest are enough hint of awkward bruising to come.She hopes she has a boat-necked tee and that it would be cool enough for a scarf to try and hide the obvious marks.She shakes out a couple extra pills into her hand and stumbles back into the cabin.

“I need to tell you something.”His voice is barely above a whisper and sounds a good octave lower than usual.He has managed to pull on his boxers but seemed to be having a problem getting his trousers, feet, and balance to cooperate to get him dressed any further than that.

“What is it?”

“I don't know.I just know I need to tell you something.”

She blinks.“Are you still drunk?”

He falls backward onto the bed, groaning and admitting defeat with the trousers.“Quite possibly.”

She carefully steps over to him, pressing the pills into his open palm before bending over to try and pick up his trousers.The evil troll with the sledgehammer in her head lets her know that this would be a really bad idea.She carefully sinks to her knees instead, guiding his feet into leg holes and leaving the fabric bunched around his ankles.He can have fun reaching down to pull them up.

“Are you sure I can’t just die here?”

She manages to fill another glass of water and brings it back to the bedside table.

“I think there is an extra body-removal fee if you do.And after what the steward has had to clean up after this week, I’m not sure I can afford that.”

He groans, rolling over and reaching for the glass.“You are welcome to die with me.Maybe they have a two for one body-removal special.”

“What do you have to tell me?”She starts to rummage through a bureau drawer in search of her highest necked top.

“I don’t know.I just know I had to remember to tell you something this morning.”

“Helpful.You should have written it down.”

“I suspect I would have to get a hammered as I was when I wrote it in order to read it.And I’m not sure I really want to touch alcohol again.”

She has to force back a chuckle that would only make her head pound harder.“I think we have said that every morning this week.”She’s turned from him now, slipping into a pair of shorts, and trying to fasten her bra.

The warmth of his breath and voice is suddenly caressing the side of her neck, that spot behind her ear that he knows reduces her to jelly.“And with good reason.”Warm hands brush across her still naked stomach.“Not that we didn’t come up with a rather unusual hangover cure.”

Her belly flips at his words, his touch, and for a moment she lets herself relax against the heat of him behind her.Until there is the soft chime of overhead PA again. 

 _Fuck_.She’s almost tempted to say it aloud if she didn’t think he would take it as a command rather the expression of frustration that it was.

There is an echoing sigh behind her, and the reluctant pulling away of his touch.

“And then the fairy tale ends when the clock strikes midnight.Or 10:00 am.”

**Author's Note:**

> Usual disclaimers apply. I could not do this without my wonderful sisters lala-kate, Cls2011, and lovepurplemustaches egging me on and reading the bits and pieces I feed them as I write ever so slowly. I do not own these characters except for possible quirks I may have added — all rights remain with DA, the writers, producers, production companies and big corporations who honestly should not even think about suing fanfic authors because hello, we are poor. And just playing story-time as an act of love for what you have given us.


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